Cotton setting machine



Dec. 14, 1937.

R. FOX

ooTToN SETTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 26, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet'l Dec. 14, 1937.

R. Fox 2,102,116

COTTON SETTING MACHINE Filed sept. 2e, 195e 2 sheets-sheet 2 y iff za, J6 Jy v v/Z. 16' KMQG i 7 ZZZ 71776;/

Patented YDec. 14, 1937 tinnen-STATES PATENT oFF1cE y Robert Fox, Chelsea, Mass.

Application September 26, 1936, Serial No. 102,661

3 Claims.

` Many fancy paper boxes used for candy and' various other products are provided with a padded top which gives the appearance of a cushion between the heavy cardboard of the top and the outside printed, embossed, or otherwise :treated covering.

In the past, it has been the practice to employ skilled labor for the purpose of ailxing this padding to the top vof the cover. The process is referred to in the trade under the expression of cotton setting, the padding is composed of y cotton fiber being enclosed on each side by thinV sheets of paper the whole of which is cut to exact size the over all dimensions of which are smallerV than the outside edges of the cover and the padding sheet must be accurately centered within the borders of the top of the cover such that an equal distance is present at al1 points around the edges. This is essential because after the padding is fixed with glue to the top the com- .bined top and padding attached isv then passed through a machine which applies the finished covering to the box top; Heretofore, girls skilled in placing this cotton padding have been used but at its best it is a slow operation due to the accuracy necessary and the fact that it has beenV mostly a matter of accuracy of the eye.

`Having the above facts in Inind I have designed a machine which not only locates and attaches this cotton padding but at the same time 1 makes it absolutely unnecessary to use skilled labor. With this device one unskilled operator is able to turn out as much'productionl as several skilled operators previouslycould produce in the same time. Also each piece turned out is abso-` lutely accurate and perfect.

The principal object of my invention is anl improved cotton setting machine;

Another object is an improved machine for setting cotton padding on the top of fancy paper boxes;

Still another object is a cotton setting machine which aligns up the cotton padding and attaches the same to the paper box cover automatically;

And still another object is an improved machine oi the jclass above described which provides a yielding contact and automatically provides a graduating adjustment, and

Other objects and novel features comprising the construction and operation of my machine (c1. ca -ser will appear as the description of the same prosreSses-'r Y ,Y

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a side'elevation of the machine, Vthe intermittent clutch drive being not shown as it comprises no part of my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine; Y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the machine taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the gauge members which guide the cotton padding which rests on the feed platform;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of a box cover to which a cotton pad has been attached, and Y f Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the box cover shown in Fig. 5 showing the completed operation onL the, cover before the final finish paper or other'materialis applied.

Referring more` in detail to the drawings, I0 indicates a table which may be constructed of any desired material and of any convenient design, wood-being used in my present machine. To the table I0 are bolted supporting angle members II. V'Ihese angle members are preferably arranged over either slots in the table VIII or provided with slots in their base legs such that-they may ,be` `moved in or out to vary'the size of the setting offthe gauges depending on the size of boxcover being processed. In the present invention, I havel indicated by the numeralY` I2 slots in the table I0 bolts I3 being shown to clamp the said angle members in place. To theV tops of the angle members II on all four` sides I have Aafxed horizontal slotted adjustment slider-wayV members I4 and I5. At the center position'of these members I4 and I4 I have fixed vertical guides I4a and 14a, the member I4a on the far side ccf the machine in Fig. 1 being indicated in Fig. 3. These membersv Ma, mayV be permanently xed to the horizontal slide-way members Ill.`

screws I1 and Wing-nuts I8 so that they may be Y moved to any desired Vposition and fastened there. On the tops of the guide members I4a I have attached angle brackets I9 to which are attached on opposite sides of the machine flat strips 20, and on top of the strips 20 are gauge angles 2|. In a similar manner I gave attached angle gauge brackets 22 to angle brackets 23 which in turn are secured to the tops of the gauge members |5a.

Under the center of the table I0 I have positioned a plunger shaft 24 which is provided with a key 25 which is slidably engaged through bearing members 26 secured to the table I0. The top ofq the shaft 24 is secured to a vertically movable feed platform 21 by means of a threaded housing 28 or by any other suitable means. The lower end of the shaft 24 is reduced in diameter at 29 and is guided through a brace member 33 which is secured to the under side of the table lil. Between the bottom shoulder of the shaft 24 and the brace member 3D I have provided a compression spring 3| bearing against washers 32. On the lowermost end of the reduced shaft 29 I have pivoted a link 33 which is provided with an internal slot 34 through which is pivoted a pin 35. The pin 35 is located in the side of a disc 3S at a point near its periphery. 'Ihe disc 35 is centered on a shaft 35a which is connected up to an intermittent drive and clutch of conventional design, not shown, so that one movement of the disc comprises a complete revolution, the position shown in Fig. 1 being the start and stop position.-

In operation, the platform 21 is normally in a low position, as shown in Fig. 1. In this position, the platform is loaded with a stack of sheets of cotton padding, as indicated broadly at 31. In this position the pin 35 holds the link 33 in a lowered position which in turn compresses the spring 3|. The operatorl now picks up a box cover which comprises the cardboard top 38 with the sides 39 attached and draws the outside top surface of this cover across a glue roll which deposits asmall amount of glue on this outer surface. The cover is now placed up-sidedown on the machine, the long sides of the edges of the cover resting on the strips 20 against the gauges 2| and t'ne ends of the cover resting against the gauges 22. The operator now starts the machine, either by foot or hand, and at the same time holds one hand on the upper side of the box cover as it rests on the machine. 'I'he disc 35 makes one revolution which allows the shaft 24 to rise with the platform 21 until the top sheet of cotton padding contacts the glued under side of the box cover on the machine. At this point, if the platform 21 is provided with a number of cotton padding members the link 33 will not rise as far as when the platform is empty, the spring 3| will be slightly compressed at this point owing to the pressure of the operators hand on the cover being treated. When the platform recedes as the pin 35 picks up the link 33, the operator removes the box cover which now has the cotton padding sheet 31 attached and repeats the process with another cover.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is:

1. An improved machine for attaching cotton padding to the covers of paper boxes comprising in combination, a base member comprising a table top upon which the said paper box covers are handled, horizontal gauge slide-ways mounted on said table top, said gauge slide-ways being adjustable, the side and end slide-way members being adjustable toward each other with the end and side slide-way members moving on said table top at ninety-degrees t0 each other, vertical guide members horizontally slidable and adjustably mounted on said slide-ways and means for securing the end Vertical members in temporary positions for the accommodation of different size box covers, a feed platform located within the confines of said vertical gauges and adapted to move up and down carrying a plurality of sheets of cotton padding, a shaft located below said platform and attached thereto and guided in said table top and a brace member located-below said table top, a compression spring located on said shaft below said table top and above said brace member and normally adapted to maintain said platform in an elevated position, a slotted link pivoted to said shaft and having a pivot pin engaging in said slot and being adapted to slide up and down in said slot, a disc connecting with said pin being adapted to rotate and permit said link to rise and fall as the said compression spring elevates said platform and said pin depresses said platform, shaft and link.

2. An improved machine for attaching cotton padding to the covers of paper boxes comprising in combination, an voperating base comprising a Work table from which said machine is operated, horizontally adjustable slideways mounted on said base, said slide-ways being adjustable in a horizontal direction at ninety-degree angles, vertical guide members horizontally adjustable in said slide-ways, a vertically movable platform mounted inside said vertical guide members,an elevating shaft attached to the under side of said platform, a compression spring surrounding said shaft at its uppermost portion, a guide brace member in which the lower portion of said shaft is slidably mounted, said brace being below the lower end of said spring, a link pivotally connected to the lower end of said shaft and having an internal vertical slot therein, a crank pin engaged in said slot, a fly-wheel connected to said pin being adapted to permit said link to rise and further adapted to draw down said link when said pin is in its lowermost position.

3. An improved machine for attaching padding to the covers of paper boxes comprising, in combination, a frame, padding gauges for positioning sheets of padding, cover gauges for engaging the edges of box covers and positioning said covers with respect to the positioned padding sheets, said padding and cover gauges all being adjustably supported from the frame in normally xed position with respect thereto, a feed table adapted to carry a plurality of superposed padding sheets, a plunger attached to said feed table adapted to operate said feed table for the purpose of contacting said padding with a positioned cover, and means for intermittently operating said plunger, substantially as shown and described.

ROBERT FOX. 

